NOT since the day of The Beatles had Southampton seen so many people queuing,

Jason mania hit Southampton when thousands formed a line around the Mayflower Theatre on March 16, 1990.

North Baddesley mum Tina Gould managed to bag the first tickets to see Jason Donovan – a purchase she was making for her two daughters.

Tina queued for more than 24 hours to get front row tickets.

Hundreds of disappointed fans were turned away by police and Mayflower staff – they were advised that they had no chance of getting tickets for the September 10 event.

Some attempted to push in and some youngsters broke down in tears as the chance to see their idol slipped away.

A police spokesman said at the time: “There have been problems with queue jumping, but the crowd has been pointing them out to us and they have been escorted off the premises.

“On the whole people have been very well behaved and orderly.”

A nearby restaurant supplied fans with tea and coffee.

There were four box office staff on duty, just one of them dealing with inquiries about other shows.